The Bookish Identity Tag

I've been tagged by the awesome Melanie, Celine, and Larissa @ YA Midnight Reads to do this Bookish Identity Tag! To be honest, I did have some trouble because I haven't read a couple books that relate to some of the questions (*cough* Percy Jackson).

Which dystopian/fantastical world would you live in?

Obviously the world of Harry Potter, also known as Hogwarts! Because first off, other than Voldemort and Harry causing tons of trouble, that should be the safest world to live in. I mean no, I would not want to live in Panem, or Eretz from Daughter of Smoke & Bone, or even the world of the Lunar Chronicles, because even though I would love to see my favorite characters, I WOULD DIE BEFORE I MEET THEM!


Who would your partner be?

Puck. It would be Puck from The Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa because he is the most adorable and hilarious side character I must need in my life, AND MEGAN DOES NOT DESERVE. Well she doesn't even pick him because she doesn't know what she's got. PUCK I WILL LOVE YOU IN PLACE OF HER.

Who would be your Godly mother/father (from Percy Jackson)? 

I'm not entirely sure? Can I just refer to the regular Greek gods and goddesses? Yes? Good. Because I would love to have Athena as a mother because she's wise but also a fighter and a hero.


Would you be a Downworlder or a Nephilim (from The Mortal Instruments)?

Uhhhh. o.o

I would like to be a cat. (In other words I have not read the Mortal Instruments yet)

Sowwy please forgive me.

Which house would you be in (from Harry Potter)?

I have been sorted into Gryffindor by J.K. Rowling's OFFICIAL sorting hat quiz from Pottermore. Honestly, I made an account just to get up to that quiz, because it has to be official. Yes? yes good. I am Gryffindor and proud. I even have a scarf with the emblem on it! 


Which faction would you be in (from Divergent)?

I have never read Divergent, but I have watched the movie AND did a quiz a while back. Apparently I'm in Erudite, which is pretty cool! I can see myself being in that faction, though I don't know how I feel about it because they're considered bad? Well I guess it was just the...umm...president lady.


What would your daemon be (from The Northern Lights/Golden Compass)?

Aha I have read The Golden Compass. Remembering it though, well that's a different story. 

But animals, hmm, I would love my daemon to be A DINOSAUR a panda because they are cute and cuddly but can also be ferocious kung fu fighters.

So I am tagging these bloggers, because I can. Along with anyone else that would love to do this!

Ely and Chami @ A Book So Fathomless

Ebony @ Daring Damsels

Holly @ The Fox's Hideaway

Review: The Dream Thieves

The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater
The Raven Cycle #2
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Release Date: May 17th, 2013
Source: Physical
Date Read: 11/11/14 to 11/28/14
448 Pages
Rating: ✰✰✰✰✰

If you could steal things from dreams, what would you take?

Ronan Lynch has secrets. Some he keeps from others. Some he keeps from himself.

One secret: Ronan can bring things out of his dreams.

And sometimes he's not the only one who wants those things.

Ronan is one of the raven boys - a group of friends, practically brothers, searching for a dead king named Glendower, who they think is hidden somewhere in the hills by their elite private school, Aglionby Academy. The path to Glendower has long lived as an undercurrent beneath town. But now, like Ronan's secrets, it is beginning to rise to the surface - changing everything in its wake.

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

In that moment, Blue was a little in love with all of them.
Their magic. Their quest. Their awfulness and strangeness.
Her raven boys.

YES MY RAVEN BOYS BECAUSE THEY ARE MY BABIES. This includes Blue too!

When you find a book that's so beautifully written, the intent is to slowly savor it and take in everything a little at a time. This did not happen with the Dream Thieves, though not because it was bad, but because it was too damn good (sorry for the little swear).

Too suspenseful.
Too action-packed.
Too wonderful, with its fully developed characters, that I am convinced exist someone out there in another universe BECAUSE they sound so real. Seriously, someone needs to get me a Noah because he is way too adorable.

If you haven't read the first book in the series, The Raven Boys, I recommend that you take the time during your winter break to READ IT! And also feel free to skim the review even though there are no spoilers. It might just make you confused though. Haha. I feel like I've been pushing you bloggers to read everything in the past month. THAT'S OKAY!

The Dream Theives Thieves (wow I can't spell "thieves") features real characters with their real problems. Well, when I say problems I mean dreamers, their monsters, psychics, and ley lines. Oh and don't forget those hit men and thugs too. It sounds unrealistic, but Stiefvater makes it sound like it's completely normal in the world.

SERIOUSLY, this book has beautiful writing that sucks you in. It's different than your average detailed novel, where instead of info-dumping the life out of you, the author uses lyrical prose to weave together an intricate story filled with AMAZINGNESS AND CHARACTERS AND just, just read this beautifulness. 

Want and need were words that got eaten smaller and smaller: Freedom, autonomy, a perennial bank balance, a stainless-steel condo in a dustless city, a silky black car, to make out with Blue, eight hours of sleep, a cell phone, a bed, to kiss Blue just once, a blister-less heel, bacon for breakfast, to hold Blue's hand, one hour of sleep, toilet paper, deodorant, a soda, a minute to close his eyes.

The one downfall to this though, is that it's sometimes hard to understand. The whole series itself isn't what I would call a light read. Sometimes it takes multiple rereads to get what's happening, or sometimes you have to go back because you didn't catch something. But in the end, it's completely worth it because THIS BOOK GUYS.

And gah, Ronan. To be honest, I didn't like Ronan much in the first book which was why I was surprised that many readers like him the best (or at least I think they do). But I know why now! The ability to steal from dreams? And even without that, Ronan himself is the most complex, and honestly it'll probably take a couple rereads to fully understand him as a person. Although the book centers around Ronan, good amounts were still dedicated to Ganesy, Adam, and Blue. Though I wish there was more on Noah. (my babyyyy)

I can say that I loved The Dream Thieves much more than its prequel. My reasoning? Well all my questions from the first book were answered! So yay to that! And also, though this may just be me, but I spent more time reading this book because I know that Stiefvater's writing is hard to process. SO I just focused really hard! And in the end I loved it! 

So yes, things to get from this review? One, READ THE FIRST BOOK. Then two, READ THIS ONE. And then three, READ THE THIRD BOOK WITH ME. Okay? okay. Good. Go go go. 

Top Ten Tuesday #32

Hosted by the Broke and the Bookish!

Top Ten Books On My Winter TBR

I'm about to put Throne of Glass on here, and Anna and the French Kiss AGAIN. But you know what? Maybe I shouldn't. Because I will technically be reading them in the Fall sometime (before December 21st, hopefully), so ha? I just keep on pushing back the reading dates for those two. SORRY I AM BUSY.

Anyways, who's ready for winter? I am not. I experienced winter last week and I already knocked over a couple of orange cones. I am not ready. But I am ready for Christmas!

Yes so anyways, this is for after the 21st!

Pivot Point by Kasie West - I've already read Parallel and All Our Yesterdays, so this is the last SF book I have to read that's related to both of those. So yes!

Abhorsen and Clariel from The Abhorsen series by Garth Nix - I really need to finish this amazing series, because I have just been procrastinating on it. Sadly, I think I'm going to have to buy the American covers (not that they're bad), because I can't find the AUS ones anywhere on the web.

This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman, Meagan Spooner - I NEED THIS IN MY LIFE. I will physically buy both These Broken Stars and This Shattered World one day.

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken - I've been meaning to read this series, maybe I'll start this season? Gah there's too many books to read in life.

We Should Hang Out Sometime by Josh Sundquist - Oh wow this is actually a true story. Interesting. 

Suspicion by Alexandra Monir - I was tempted by the cover, yes I know. I guess we'll see how it goes when I read it!

Red Rising by Pierce Brown - I received a review copy of this, but I haven't been able to get to it until, well, never I guess. Hopefully over the break. I hope I like it because I would love to read the sequel, Golden Son too!

Melt by Selene Castrovilla - Paula @ Her Book Thoughts recommended this to me, so I'm finally going to find the time to read this!

The Future for Curious People by Gregory Sherl - Again, thanks to Paula, I requested this off NG, and I'm not sure what to expect from it? 

That's it! Now here's an accurate representation of my life at the moment with all the snow (Though today it was 70 degrees? It's going back to freezing tomorrow but I had a taste of summer today)

Are you excited for winter? Or just Christmus? Feel free to link up your TTTs!

Stacking the Shelves #14 (Or How I Am Drowning in Piles and Piles of Work)

Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews and is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

Thank you to Emily @ Follow the Yellow Book Road for hosting this giveaway for Trust Me, I'm Lying, which she received at the Boston Book Festival? Actually I'm not sure. But anyways I've always wanted to go, but I'm always at school during October so it never happens. BUT YEAH. I'm excited about this one too!

(By the way if anyone is going to the Rochester Teen Book Festival in May, let me know)

SOMEONE SAVE ME.

I am drowning in school work and 10 page papers.

So yeah, there's that. If you don't see me around the blogosphere, or posting much in general, that's because finals are coming. It's going to be a tough week. I have a little break for Thanksgiving, but my parents are coming up, so the amount of productive things I accomplish, blogging related and school related, will be none.

Speaking of procrastination, guess who's blogoversary it will be in less than a month? Yes. This site. Created by the power of procrastination and the lack of studying. And following that same strategy, I promise that there will be a buttload of fun things taking place on The Innocent Smiley.

THANKS FOR STICKING WITH ME DURING THESE HARD TIMES. I'll try to be present, but um, yeah, it's going to be hard. 

I want to curl up and sleep forever

So, ok then. Yep. That's all for this week!

Read Play Blog #4: Favorite Sci-Fi Game

Read Play Blog is a meme about video games and books, posted every 16th of the month. Bloggers are encouraged to answer a discussion question, and recommend a video game that is similar to a book they liked. Hosted by Happy Indulgence Books & Read Me Away.

What's your favorite Sci-Fi game?

I also forgot about posting my favorite Sci-Fi game! Gah, life. But anyways, to be honest I was going to mention that Mass Effect was my favorite Sci-Fi video game series, but let's switch it up for now. I also don't consider myself a true ME fan, only because I've only played the second game, and half of the third. That will be fixed by next month, I promise.

Yay for Star Ocean!

The Star Ocean series has actually been around for a pretty long time now, I think it started with the Playstation 1. I also enjoyed playing Star Ocean: Til the End of Time on the Playstation 2, but I never ended up finishing it (it was two discs!).

Anyways, the one I have featured is Star Ocean: The Last Hope. It's for both the PS3 and Xbox 360, and basically you get to travel to different worlds, to prevent the destruction of the universe! Very complex, haha, but the characters are adorable. Also, there are a lot of feels!

Monthly Recommendation

What have I not recommended yet? That is the bigger question!

Recommendation: Suikoden Tierkreis

So I stumbled on this little gem for the Nintendo DS a while back, and it WAS AN AMAZING GAME. It's your typical fantasy RPG game, but with an incredible storyline, and also a billion characters to collect for your party. Seriously, there are more than 100+ playable characters that you can collect along the way of your journey. Sometimes it's easy, but other times you have to do a certain quest in a certain time frame.

I remember looking at the guide for it, hahah, it was a lot.

I didn't even finish the stupid, amazing game. I really need to get on that. I just have a problem with finishing games in general, sigh. But yeah, this is actually not that well known, even though there's also a series surrounding it as well!

Thanks to Jeann and Ana for creating this meme! Please, if you love video games as much as I do, CONTACT ME SO THAT WE CAN BE BEST FRIENDS 5EVER!

Review: All Our Yesterdays

All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Release Date: September 3rd, 2013
Source: Library, Audiobook
Date Read: 11/8/14 to 11/15/14
360 Pages
Rating: ✰✰✰1/2

What would you change?

Imprisoned in the heart of a secret military base, Em has nothing except the voice of the boy in the cell next door and the list of instructions she finds taped inside the drain.

Only Em can complete the final instruction. She’s tried everything to prevent the creation of a time machine that will tear the world apart. She holds the proof: a list she has never seen before, written in her own hand. Each failed attempt in the past has led her to the same terrible present—imprisoned and tortured by a sadistic man called the doctor while war rages outside.

Marina has loved her best friend, James, since they were children. A gorgeous, introverted science prodigy from one of America’s most famous families, James finally seems to be seeing Marina in a new way, too. But on one disastrous night, James’s life crumbles, and with it, Marina’s hopes for their future. Marina will protect James, no matter what. Even if it means opening her eyes to a truth so terrible that she may not survive it... at least, not as the girl she once was. Em and Marina are in a race against time that only one of them can win.

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

I picked up All Our Yesterdays from the library (in audiobook form), because I've heard so many good things about it, especially since it involved time travel. And although everything about it was absolutely amazing I felt that the ending really killed it for me. Which, unfortunately is a bummer.

Let's talk about time travel:

• In All Our Yesterdays, it seems like time isn't directly looped. Sure if you kill your past self, your future self will die, but if your past self does something different, your future self won't remember it.
• Time constantly tries to repair itself, and fix paradoxes. (Don't ask me to expand on this)
• Time travel and time itself will always remain confusing and I don't know man. (yet even though I say this I still love time travel YA.

Here's the story. We have our two main characters, Em and Finn, who are determined to stop the time machine from ever being built because it leads to not only a totalitarian state, but also to them being locked up in cells. The thing is, they've managed to go back to the past so many times to try to fix the world, but nothing works.

Basically, this is their last time to escape, use the time machine Cassandra to go back in time, and fix things once and for all. Unfortunately, this involves their best friend, James, who, surprise, isn't their best friend anymore because of reasons I will not tell you.

Everything leading up to the ending is excellent. The POV shifts from Em's POV, and then to Marina, a girl living in the present time which is four years in the past. Since I was listening to the audiobook, I got a little confused with the drastic shift, but after everything started coming together, it was just awesome. Marina is a little shallow in the beginning, constantly clinging to her best friend James because she secretly crushes on him. And because of this, I felt really put off by her. But on the other hand, Em was less naive and more hardened from only four months of interrogation.

“I've been scared of so much stupid crap in my life. Making a bad grade or not fitting in. God, I was scared of you. And it was all such a waste. None of it matters now that the real scary shit is here.”

Finn is incredibly sweet, funny, and adorable. Like in my previous review of Parallel, one of the main focuses was the idea of soul mates. No matter through time, or parallel lives, you will always be with the one you're supposed to be with. There wasn't much romance between Finn and Em, because of the whole "saving the world thing" going on, but the two of them spending time together was sweet at least. GAH their lives are just so bleak it makes me sad! THIS BOOK WAS JUST SAD. But also action-packed.

And then. There's the ending. Le sigh. I tried working out how the whole timeline would be affected, and I figured some of it out, but I still have a lot of questions. And because of that, I felt that the ending was extremely unsatisfying for me. It just, wasn't what I expected. Also, there's this random out-of-place last chapter, and I'm not sure why it's there. In conclusion, I did not like the ending and I NEED MORE EXPLANATION. It sucks because I can see how you can't fit in an explanation, but I'm being stubborn.

Overall, I loved All Our Yesterdays. But that ending really blew it for me.

Also, now that I think about it, how did this NOT go down like Meet the Robinsons? Sure some things are different, but TIME-WISE. (ok I'm done)

Stacking the Shelves #13

Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews and is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

So I kind of went crazy at the library, and borrowed All Our Yesterdays in audiobook form. Apparently there aren't any fees to take out audio books, which is surprising for me. Well, I have never tried an audiobook before, so we'll see how this goes!

And then I also get Mistborn, because it is this month's Sanderson Cosmere book! If you want to join our discussions, we now have a Goodreads group, run by the awesome Faye.

And then I also borrowed Falling Into Place, only because it was in the newly released section and I've seen so many reviews on it. I'm not really into contemporary, so we'll have to see how this one goes to.

Thank you so much to Larissa @ YA Midnight Reads for hosting this giveaway for Atlantia, which I'm super excited to read by the way. It arrived this week, even though I kind of gave her the wrong zip code since I keep forgetting I don't live at school anymore. Oh well it didn't affect anything this time.

Also, look at this adorable note Larissa wrote for me!

So cute. Shout out to Larissa for being adorable!

Thank you to Little, Brown Books for approving me for We Should Hang Out Sometime on Netgalley!

I had a pretty boring month.

Honestly I'm just waiting for my car to break down, I honestly have such pessimistic thoughts about my car, aha. If it lasts until Thanksgiving, which is when I'll be getting a new car battery, then it should be fine for the winter, hopefully.

WORRIES ASIDE, as all you guys know, I love improving my blog. So when my best friend's little sister opened up an art shop, I decided to help her out and buy something of hers. Which is why, yet again, I will be tweaking my blog header. Surprise. Haha.

Yep, so since I'm an awesome big sister (not related by blood, mentally? She's pretty much my sister. Our families are planning to live next to each other when they retire, I think that says something), I'm going to share some of her art.

Original Tumblr post here with these art samples and prices. Her deviantart here.

Yep, and she's still 12 years old! Just kidding she should be 16 years old now. 

She also drew this one below for me, when I asked her if she could draw me a couple of penguins, and pandas? I don't remember exactly what I asked for. But anyways, that little poop completely twisted everything I asked into this. 

It's a bunny, panda with a beak that is crying? While eating a carrot? 

This is giving me second thoughts about my header....WELL ANYWAYS, I had an okay week, how was yours?

Top Ten Tuesday #31

Hosted by the Broke and the Bookish!

Top Ten Characters that NEED Their Own Book!

Whatttt. Minor characters getting their own book? YES. That would be fantastic because there are so many times where I wish I knew more about a side character. It's even worse when the author spends almost no time on them AT ALL, which kind of pisses me off, especially when it's a character that's just awesome. 

Or you know, if the character that totally deserves the girl but in the end she chooses some poopy prince guy (*cough* The Iron King *cough*)

Ok, let's get this list rolling!

Noah from The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater - He is my all time favorite character in the series, and it's just saddening to know we won't be reading much more about him (or from what I've heard from bloggers reading The Dream Thieves, I haven't started it yet) -- I can't find the original art source for Noah, so um, if anyone knows, let me know!

Mogget from The Abhorsen series by Garth Nix - MOGGET THE TALKING KITTY. But he's not a kitty. Or is he? I want a book on Mogget and who he really is and how he came to be. Also, important question, is Mogget in Clariel? I saw Clariel in the library the other day, but resisted because I actually want to buy the book.

Puck from The Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa - *cries* Puck you are so awesome and so funny and so quirky, LOVE ME INSTEAD. 

Grimalkin from The Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa - Who doesn't want this sarcastic puffball to have his own book? I mean, where does he go all the time anyways? He's talking kitty #2, right after Mogget.

Vasher from Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson - I just finished reading Warbreaker, so it makes sense that I have UNANSWERED QUESTIONS that neeeed to be answered, Vasher being one of them.

Rudy from The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - Where we get the story told from Rudy's perspective and how much he loves Liesel and and then there would be a HAPPY ENDING. gah. 

Silas from The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman - I don't know where this guy comes from, or how he's able to leave the graveyard, or how he knows basically everything. This needs to be explained. I really need to reread the book or buy the graphic novel, since this was my favorite Neil Gaiman read.  

Ziri from the Daughter of Smoke & Bone series by Laini Taylor - There's already a novella about Mik and Zuzanna, which I read halfway before stopping (for some reason), so next on my list was ZIRI, because he was so awesome in Dreams of Gods & Monsters. Plus he's cool. Yeah. Good reasoning there. Ha.

Morpheus from Splintered by A. G. Howard - BECAUSE NO ONE CARES ABOUT JEB. I'm just kidding, I think the same amount of readers pair up Alyssa with Morpheus as with Jeb. But anyways, that's besides the point. You know what I would like? I would like a nice back story on Morpheus and how he came to be. Or I don't know, anything about him because he's mysterious, and moth-y.

The Darkling from The Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo - DISCLAIMER DISCLAIMER, I actually haven't finished the trilogy yet, so I'm not sure whether these questions are answered in the sequels, BUT THE DARKLING! I want to know MOAR about him. Because! I just do. I don't necessarily have a crush on him, because I don't, I just want to know how he came to be, and such. You know, that stuff.

Wow. so basically this list consisted of mysterious people that need to be explained. I mean, fair enough it makes sense. I just need my answers. Now to actually make the authors write about them....

All images were taken from either Pinterest or Deviantart, and are linked back to the original source, unless I couldn't find the original source.

What do you think? What kinds of characters do you want to know more about? Feel free to link up your TTTs!